Recipes › Sauce › Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Recipe

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Recipe

Recipe by Pedro M. A. Neves

This vibrant Italian roasted red pepper sauce captures the sweetness of charred peppers with a subtle garlic and basil finish. Known as salsa di peperoni rossi, this versatile sauce works beautifully over pasta, polenta, or grilled vegetables. The deep, smoky flavor develops through slow roasting and blending, creating a silky condiment that's both elegant and approachable.

Ingredients

• 4 large red bell peppers (about 800 g / 28 oz)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 250 ml (1 cup) vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 8-10 fresh basil leaves
• ½ teaspoon sugar (optional, to balance acidity)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F). Wash the red peppers and pat dry. Cut them in half lengthwise, remove seeds and stems, and place them skin-side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

2. Roast the peppers for 25-30 minutes until the skin is blackened and blistered in spots. The flesh should be very soft and beginning to collapse.

3. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately transfer the hot peppers to a bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and let the peppers steam for 10 minutes to loosen the skin.

4. Once cooled slightly, peel away the charred skin from each pepper using your fingers or a small knife. Discard the skin and roughly chop the roasted pepper flesh.

5. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not browned, stirring frequently.

6. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, allowing it to caramelize slightly. This deepens the sauce's flavor foundation.

7. Add the chopped roasted peppers to the pan along with the broth, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8. Remove from heat and stir in the red wine vinegar. Add fresh basil leaves and taste the sauce, adjusting seasoning as needed. Add sugar only if the sauce tastes too acidic.

9. Transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth, working in batches if necessary. For a slightly textured sauce, pulse instead of fully blending.

10. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it with a splash of broth or water. Pour into a clean jar or serving bowl. The sauce can be served warm immediately or cooled and refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Substitutions

• Use roasted jarred red peppers (about 500 g drained) to reduce cooking time by 40 minutes; skip the roasting step and begin at step 5.
• Substitute fresh basil with 1 teaspoon dried oregano for a more Mediterranean herb profile.
• Replace olive oil with a mild avocado oil or sunflower oil for a lighter fat option.
• Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth to make the sauce completely plant-based.

Tips

• Charring the peppers deeply is essential; the blackened areas add smoky depth that defines authentic Italian pepper sauce.
• Make this sauce in larger batches and freeze portions in ice cube trays for convenient portions to add to weeknight dishes.
• For extra richness, stir in 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream or crème fraîche just before serving.

Roasted red pepper sauce represents the essence of Southern Italian cooking, particularly in regions like Campania and Calabria where peppers have been cultivated since the Renaissance. This sauce embodies the Italian principle of transforming simple, seasonal vegetables into something profoundly flavorful through careful technique rather than complex ingredients.

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